Proof of Funds

The Government of Canada does not provide financial support to new skilled worker immigrants.

You must have enough money to support yourself and your dependants after you arrive in Canada. You cannot borrow this money from another person. You must be able to provide proof of funds and use this to support your family.

You will need to provide proof of funds when you submit your application for immigration.

The amount of money that you need to have to support your family is determined by the size of your family.

Table 1 - Required Funds

How Much Funds Should you Bring? Find out how much it costs to live where you are planning to settle in Canada. Bring as much money as possible to make moving and finding a home in Canada easier.

These funds are NOT a "Sina qua non" condition of admission. The six month settlement fund requirement is a policy creation implemented by the Department and is not found in the Regulations.

Visa officers have been instructed not to refuse applicants on the basis of not being able to provide the required proof of funds alone, as described in the Table 1, and to apply a number of additional factors which include, without limitation, the following criteria:

1. Spouse's potential for employment
2. Genuine offers of employment
3. Genuine offers of accommodation
4. General assistance from family and friends
5. Transferable skills of applicant

The application of Table 1 and the additional factors noted above will vary from post to post in accordance with the particular circumstances of an applicant's case.

As well, certain visa offices adhere to a practice of requesting longevity of fund possession for up to one year, while other offices will issue visas upon the production of evidence of current deposit (s) or bank draft (s) in the name of applicant, spouse or over-age dependent child.

Applicants who are not able, upon request, to provide proof of funds, can petition the visa office to hold the disposition of the case in abeyance for a reasonable period of time, pending efforts by the applicant to comply with this statutory requirement.